Don't Miss: Murlo @ Patterns

Murlo’s extraordinary Audio/Visual show makes its long-awaited debut at Patterns on Friday the 16th of February.

Murlo is genuinely one of the most innovative producers around at the moment. Although signed to Grime stalwarts Butterz his sound strays far from the gritty sonics of this quintessentially British genre. Often the typically aggressive square waves are swapped in favour of floaty and chime-like pads that fully expose the talented musician he is at heart.

Indeed, along with artists such as JT The Goon and Mumdance, Murlo has helped spearhead the eminence of instrumental and wholly experimental Grime beats. One could even argue this movement kept the genre alive in those dark years where MCs were either straying towards commercialised pop music or being hounded by the MET police.

Anyhow, one thing you cannot dismiss is Murlo’s pivotal role in a pleasingly fluid Grime scene in which weird and wonderful sounds routinely prosper. He doesn’t stop there though, also making an array of things from Dancehall to Garage to UK Funky through to even some ambient sounds. Really to put him in a box is pointless, it’s less about genre than sound or musical flavour – one listen, and you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about.

Any seasoned fans will know that Murlo is also a keen graphic designer and artist. Most of his artwork is done himself, including the intriguingly complex cover of his ”Odyssey” LP released in 2015. More recently he put together the video for “Tired Of You” – released through Brooklyn label Mixpak – an anime-inspired dystopian narrative centred around a mysterious “Club Coil” (the name of his latest EP). In many ways, his graphic art pieces go hand in hand with his productions. Just like Gorillaz create a fictional universe for their music so too does Murlo… and this is where things get really interesting.

At the height of Summer last year he launched a live AV show in London showcasing music from the “Club Coil” EP while simultaneously expanding on the graphic universe he created for it. The show sold out (of course), and he promptly returned in October, this time stepping up the lighting, visuals and sound-system.

Now Murlo is taking his show on the road, and after two successful stops in Bristol and Manchester, his next destination is Brighton. It’s fairly rare for an Audio/Visual show to hit the city, rarer still for it to come from a man of such high calibre. Patterns is also the perfect venue for it; small enough to give a pleasantly intimate vibe, but large enough to keep things from becoming too claustrophobic.

Tickets for the occasion are only £11, a bargain really when you compare it to what’s in store. Moreover, as a result of the earlier start time, there’s still the chance to do whatever else you would like with your Friday evening – albeit with the recent memory of a mesmerising show right at the forefront of your mind.